Nested-PCR assay for detection of Schistosoma japonicum infection in domestic animals.

Background: Schistosomiasis japonica is a common zoonosis. Domestic animals are the primary source of infection and play an important role in disease transmission. The prevalence and infectivity of this disease in domestic animals in China have significantly decreased and, for this reason, diagnostics with a higher sensitivity have become increasingly necessary.

Natural product discovery from the human microbiome.

Human-associated microorganisms have the potential to biosynthesize numerous secondary metabolites that may mediate important host-microbe and microbe-microbe interactions. However, there is currently a limited understanding of microbiome-derived natural products. A variety of complementary discovery approaches have begun to illuminate this microbial "dark matter," which will in turn allow detailed mechanistic studies of the effects of these molecules on microbiome and host.

Untargeted metabolite analysis-based UHPLC-Q-TOF-MS reveals significant enrichment of p-hydroxybenzyl dimers of citric acids in fresh beige-scape Gastrodia elata (Wutianma).

In order to comprehensively elucidate the chemical biosynthesis process of the beige-scape Gastrodia elata Blume (Wutianma) as a traditional herbal medicines, the untargeted analysis-based UHPLC-PDA-ESI-Q-TOF-MS reveals the metabolites ranging from the skeletons to novel dimers of citric acids in fresh and dried immature/mature stem tubers. Interestingly, two novel types of dimers for citric acids with the anhydride groups at sn-1 and/or sn-5 were discovered in fresh samples. Moreover, the classical mono- versus novel di-mers, and the aglycons versus the glycosides could be easily discriminated by signature fragmentation patterns and some novel adduct ions.

Taxonomy of with the description of a new species (Tetrigidae, Metrodorinae).

Descriptions of the flying organs and generic characteristics of the genus Zheng, Wei & Jiang are currently imprecise. is reviewed and compared with allied genera. A re-description is undertaken and a determination key is provided to .

Developing a new nonbinary SNP fluorescent multiplex detection system for forensic application in China.

Nonbinary single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are potential forensic genetic markers because their discrimination power is greater than that of normal binary SNPs, and that they can detect highly degraded samples. We previously developed a nonbinary SNP multiplex typing assay. In this study, we selected additional 20 nonbinary SNPs from the NCBI SNP database and verified them through pyrosequencing.

Revisiting the male genetic landscape of China: a multi-center study of almost 38,000 Y-STR haplotypes.

China has repeatedly been the subject of genetic studies to elucidate its prehistoric and historic demography. While some studies reported a genetic distinction between Northern and Southern Han Chinese, others showed a more clinal picture of small differences within China. Here, we investigated the distribution of Y chromosome variation along administrative as well as ethnic divisions in the mainland territory of the People's Republic of China, including 28 administrative regions and 19 recognized Chinese nationalities, to assess the impact of recent demographic processes.

Notes on the genus Zheng (Tetrigidae: Cladonotinae), with descriptions of two new species from Thailand.

Two new species, Yunnantettix nanensis sp. nov. and Yunnantettix variabilis sp.

Entropy-Driven Segregation and Its Competition with Crystal Nucleation in the Binary Blends of Stretched and Free Guest Polymers.

Enhancing the dynamic asymmetry between liquid-like and solid-like components leads to spontaneous segregation. As a typical example, the binary blends of stretched and free guest polymers were investigated by our dynamic Monte Carlo simulations. The results evidenced an entropic driving force for the strain-induced segregation between two components, similar to that for Onsager's lyotropic liquid crystals.

Prevalence and related factors of post-traumatic stress disorder among medical staff members exposed to H7N9 patients.

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence and related factors of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms among doctors and nurses who were exposed to H7N9 patients during the H7N9 influenza epidemic. To provide scientific basis for promoting the physical and psychological health of these staff members.

Method: The 102 medical staff workers who were exposed to H7N9 patients were recruited through convenient sampling between January 2015 and May 2016.

Molecular cloning and functional analysis of squalene synthase (SS) in Panax notoginseng.

Panax notoginseng (Burk.) F. H.

HMGA2 regulates epithelial-mesenchymal transition and the acquisition of tumor stem cell properties through TWIST1 in gastric cancer.

High expression of high mobility group protein A2 (HMGA2) is correlated with the invasiveness of gastric cancer and is an independent prognostic factor. The reason may be that HMGA2 promotes epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and the acquisition of tumor stem cell properties, yet the mechanism remains unclear. In this study, immunohistochemistry and western blot analysis revealed that the expression of HMGA2 and Twist-related protein 1 (TWIST1) in gastric carcinoma tissues was higher than that in the peritumoral tissues and that the expression levels of these two proteins were positively correlated.

Event-based finite-time state estimation for Markovian jump systems with quantizations and randomly occurring nonlinear perturbations.

This paper is concerned with finite-time state estimation for Markovian jump systems with quantizations and randomly occurring nonlinearities under event-triggered scheme. The event triggered scheme and the quantization effects are used to reduce the data transmission and ease the network bandwidth burden. The randomly occurring nonlinearities are taken into account, which are governed by a Bernoulli distributed stochastic sequence.

Genetic Polymorphisms of 21 STR Loci in Hunan Province-based Han Population.

Objectives: To investigate the genetic polymorphisms of 21 short tandem repeat （STR） loci （, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , and ）.

Methods: A total of 560 blood samples were collected from unrelated healthy individuals of Han population in Hunan Province. Chelex-100 extraction method was applied to the extraction of genomic DNA, and an AGCU EX22 Kit and 9700 STR amplification was used in amplification reactions.

Molecular Cloning and Functional Analysis of Squalene Synthase 2(SQS2) in Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge.

Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge, which is also known as a traditional Chinese herbal medicine, is widely studied for its ability to accumulate the diterpene quinone Tanshinones. In addition to producing a variety of diterpene quinone, S. miltiorrhiza Bunge also accumulates sterol, brassinosteroid and triterpenoids.

A new species and a revised key of the genus Thoradonta (Orthoptera, Tetrigidae).

A new species of the genus Thoradonta (Orthoptera, Tetrigidae), Thoradonta varispina Zha & Sheng, sp. n., was found in Lengshuihe Nature Preserve, Jinsha, Guizhou, China.

Validation of Suitable Reference Genes for Assessing Gene Expression of MicroRNAs in Lonicera japonica.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs), which play crucial regulatory roles in plant secondary metabolism and responses to the environment, could be developed as promising biomarkers for different varieties and production areas of herbal medicines. However, limited information is available for miRNAs from Lonicera japonica, which is widely used in East Asian countries owing to various pharmaceutically active secondary metabolites. Selection of suitable reference genes for quantification of target miRNA expression through quantitative real-time (qRT)-PCR is important for elucidating the molecular mechanisms of secondary metabolic regulation in different tissues and varieties of L.

[Diagnostic analysis of the radiologic characteristics in osteoporotic Kiinmmel's disease].

Objective: To explore the diagnostic value of the radiologic characteristics of osteoporotic Kummell's disease.

Methods: Total 16 patients with pathologically confirmed osteoporotic Kummell's diseases were reviewed from May 2010 to May 2012, including 4 males and 12 females with the mean age of 73.4 years (ranged, 67 to 83 years old).

The Origin and Development of Medical Jurisprudence in Xiangya.

The origin of medical jurisprudence in China can be traced back to as early as 1920s, and since then, the discipline has undergone a great development. This paper, based on the disciplinary development of medical jurisprudence at Xiangya School of Medicine, illustrates its evolution in three aspects covering the scientific and theoretic foundation, legal system and policy support. The current investigation reflected a glimpse of the modern forensic science in China, providing useful historical reference for the development of Chinese forensic science.

Population genetics of 26 Y-STR loci for the Han ethnic in Hunan province, China.

To study the population data of Y-chromosome STRs (Y-STRs) of Han population resided in Hunan province, we analyzed haplotypes of 26 Y-STRs (DYS19, DYS385a/b, DYS389I, DYS389II, DYS390, DYS391, DYS392, DYS393, DYS437, DYS438, DYS439, DYS448, DYS456, DYS458, DYS481, DYS533, DYS549, DYS570, DYS576, DYS635, DYS643, DYS388, DYS449, DYS460, and YGATAH4) in 310 unrelated male individuals using a commercially available Goldeneye® DNA ID 26Y system. The calculated average gene diversity values ranged from 0.4211 to 0.

Multicomponent Thermodynamics of Strain-Induced Polymer Crystallization.

We developed a linear combination of two Flory's melting-point theories, one for stretched and the other for solution polymers, to predict the melting point of stretched solution polymers. The dependences of the melting strains on varying temperatures, polymer volume fractions, and solvent qualities were verified by the onset strains of crystallization in our dynamic Monte Carlo simulations of stretched solution polymers under a constant strain rate. In addition, owing to phase separation before crystallization in a poor solvent, calibration of polymer concentration to the polymer-rich phase appears necessary for the verification.

Global profiling and rapid matching of natural products using diagnostic product ion network and in silico analogue database: Gastrodia elata as a case study.

Rapid discovery of novel compounds of a traditional herbal medicine is of vital significance for pharmaceutical industry and plant metabolic pathway analysis. However, discovery of unknown or trace natural products is an ongoing challenge. This study presents a universal targeted data-independent acquisition and mining strategy to globally profile and effectively match novel natural product analogues from an herbal extract.

Bacterial Succession on Rat Carcasses and Applications for PMI Estimation.

Unlabelled: Abstract:

Objective: To investigate the bacterial succession on rat carcasses and to evaluate the use of bacterial succession for postmortem interval (PMI) estimation.

Methods: Adult female SD rat remains were placed in carton boxes. The bacterial colonization of circumocular skin, mouth and vagina was collected to be identified using culture-dependent biochemical methods.